


Holiday Sweaters

by LegendaryPlum



Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Hanukkah, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 11:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5414348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryPlum/pseuds/LegendaryPlum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik enlists the help of Charles to help him make Hanukkah sweaters for him and his children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holiday Sweaters

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so any criticism is welcome!

Erik was outraged.

He had spent the entire morning going from store to store in search of four "ugly" Hanukkah sweaters, after he had endured weeks of Pietro’s complaints that since they had Christmas ones, they should have Hanukkah ones as well. Unsurprisingly, he had had no luck finding any.

As he was leaving the last Target in town, he passed by the arts and crafts section and saw plain shirts and iron on patches, which gave him a fantastic idea.

In that moment, he decided he would make Hanukkah sweaters for him and his children. The only problem, however, was that he wasn’t sure how he would go about making them.

He could buy plain sweaters and Hanukkah iron-ons, but that didn’t feel as authentic. No, he wanted to hand make each of them. But how?

As he was getting into his car and planning on how to make four sweaters in under a month, his phone buzzed from a text from Charles.

“How’s the search going?” Erik read to himself.

“No luck,” Erik typed out. “I might look online--”

He stopped typing halfway through the message, as he had come up with his second best idea of the day: He would have Charles help him!

Charles was very proficient at both knitting and crocheting, and had made multiple things for Erik and his kids over the years. Erik decided in the Target parking lot that he would convince Charles to help him crochet four Hanukkah sweaters.

Erik rushed back to Charles’ house before he lost the idea.

He let himself into Charles’s small apartment and was immediately swarmed by his three children that Charles had been watching while Erik spent the morning out.

“Dad! Where were you? Did you find any Hanukkah sweaters?” Pietro asked immediately after Erik entered the room.

“Ah, well, no I didn’t. I thought of a great idea while I was out looking though: I’ll make them myself!” Erik replied slowly as he greeted his daughters.

Pietro stopped while he was thinking about what his father had just said, then burst into laughter.

“You’re going to make them? Hanukkah starts in a month!” Pietro began. Erik knew he was in for a long lecture from his seven year old son. This would be a change, as he usually got them from Wanda.

Pietro continued badgering him until Erik found Charles in his study and shut himself in there with him.

“How did the shopping go? I don’t hear the kids screaming with joy, just screaming” Charles asked as he put down the book he had been reading.

“Ah, not as well as I would have hoped,” Erik began as he sat on the chair opposite Charles’. “I went to three Targets, two Wal-Marts, and a Goodwill with no luck. I’m not that surprised though, to be honest. I hadn’t set my hopes too high.”

“Have you looked online?”

“I thought about it, no doubt I would find some. But…” Erik decided now would be as good a time as any to propose the idea of making them himself. “I was thinking that maybe I could make them myself?”

Charles raised an eyebrow. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

“With your help, of course. You know how to crochet, yeah?”

“Of course I do. I’ve made countless things for the kids, you know this.” Charles replied.

“Perfect, so you can teach me to crochet sweaters for me and the kids!” Erik exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “When can we start?”

Charles looked at him blankly, and when he realized Erik was serious he said, “Well, I suppose we can start now, considering that Hanukkah starts in a month.”

So Charles began teaching Erik to crochet. He started with the basics, and since Erik was picking it up so fast, Charles was able to begin more advanced techniques within the first week and a half.

He still made small mistakes of course, such as making his knots too tight and not counting his stitches while making hats, but he was able to quickly outgrow those habits.

Within two weeks, he was able to make three things at once, due to having control over the metal in the crochet hooks.

Miraculously, he was able to finish all four sweaters with a day to spare before Hanukkah began. They weren’t perfect of course, but he had made them himself and that’s what mattered.

As he was folding up the now completed sweaters, feeling triumphant, he decided to make one more for the person who had helped him in the beginning.

Erik had invited Charles over to his apartment for Hanukkah dinner, and so the next day, Charles, Erik, and his three children began setting up the table and finishing up preparing both their dinner and the menorah that was to be lit that night.

After Charles had set up the table, they still had some time before dinner was ready. Erik took this time to surprise his children with the sweaters he had made.

All three of them were delighted, even Pietro was impressed with his father’s handiwork. They all three put them on immediately, little Lorna needed help from Erik, but it was obvious that she was happy with it.

Erik put his on right after, and Charles had gotten up to get the last of the food out of the oven when Erik grabbed his arm.

“No no, sit down. I have something for you, too.” Erik said excitedly.

Erik pulled out a sweater he had made for Charles last minute and handed it to him.

“I made one for you too. I know you don’t celebrate Hanukkah but I couldn’t not make you a sweater to match with the rest of us.” Erik said as Charles put it on.

“It’s wonderful, thank you Erik.” Charles replied as he went to put the rest of the food out.

The five gathered around the table to light the first candle of the menorah and to say the blessing. Afterwards, Charles and Erik helped the children set up their plates and began eating and enjoying themselves and each other’s company.

While Wanda and Pietro recounted a story from school the week before, Erik looked around at this little group of the most important people in his life.

Their sweaters may have been ugly, but his family sure wasn’t.


End file.
